Tue05Jan16

Henry Ford’s Gr Grand Son had embraced Hinduism and took name of Mr. Ambarish Das converting from Alfred B Ford.. What he found and fascinated in Hinduism to embrace it.

Ambarish Das may not have been born Indian. His soul is Indian though.

Before he adopted his Hindu name, he was Alfred B. Ford. His mother is the daughter of Edsel Bryant Ford II, son of the legendary Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Company). That makes him a fourth-generation Ford and a part of one of America’s most iconic families.

But this Ford has more on his mind than cars.

While studying at Tulane University, Louisiana, he heard Hindu religious music at the campus record store, for the first time. He broke down on hearing the record. It touched something deep in him. Thus began his involvement with Hinduism.

He married a Bengali girl and has since used his fame and wealth to spread the word of Hinduism and Krishna.
He travelled all over the world with his wife, also a devotee, to spread Krishna consciousness because he says “It is a spiritual science not just for Indians, but for everybody around the world.”“I had a lot of questions when I was growing up. When I was young, I used to wonder how big the universe was, what’s on the other side of the sky, who was God, what was He like – those kind of questions and things”, he said.

“My great grandfather Henry Ford would have been happy to see my lifestyle today, as he was also very interested in spiritual life and Eastern philosophy.
He used to practice yoga daily and read many of the Hindu scriptures. He believed in reincarnation and was a vegetarian. He was also a good friend of Paramahamsa Yogananda.”

So he would have been very happy with the lifestyle I am leading and the things I believe in.“I was looking for meaning in life and hadn’t found it in the faith I grew up in. I experimented and read several religious systems but as soon as I read the Bhagawad Gita, it was like a bell went off.
He said all the things that I was looking for: God is a personality. We have a relationship with God and by restoring that relationship we can go back to the spiritual world.”

“I lived as a recluse in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming for many years – reading, chanting and cooking vegetarian food.“

“I believe in the concept of ananda – unlimited happiness. Happiness is not something that has a beginning and an end – it is endless.”

“Some people get happy if they go shopping, have a good meal, or do well in an exam, get a job, make some money etc. but how long does the happiness last? It doesn’t last very long.”

Happiness cannot come from sensory objects. It comes from self-realization. It comes from realizing who we are, what is our dharma, what are we supposed to be doing, who are we supposed to be serving.

Once we find that and feel comfortable in that position, then we realize that that position cannot end. No one can take it away. There is no fear involved. That is the beginning of happiness because it is not temporary.

When I married Sharmila that was a milestone for my parents.

They were very impressed with her, she had a PhD, very well educated, accomplished woman and, of course, they love my children, Amrita and Anisha, too.

He assisted in the establishment of the first Hindu temple in Hawaii and also donated $500,000 to help establish the Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center in Detroit which was completed in 1983.

Alfred Ford has made many significant donations over the years which have assisted ongoing projects such as to build the Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. He is also the chairman of the Sri Mayapur Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Ford also lobbied very hard to have a Vedic cultural centre made in Moscow at an estimated cost of $10 million but it was blocked by the communist government.He has recently bought a $6000,000 mansion to convert it into a temple and learning center in Honolulu, US

Sun05Sep10

We all have our preconceptions about millionaires: they’re tax evaders who just inherited their money from rich aunt, and they hang around the golf course all day with their snobby, elitist friends. So what’s the average millionaire really like? Here are seven millionaire myths, and the real facts about the ones who seem to have it all.

1. Millionaires Don’t Pay Their Taxes
Fact: It is estimated that millionaires, those in the top 1% of earners, pay about 40% of all taxes. Current tax regulation shifts may change these numbers to make this even larger than that – so think twice before accusing the millionaires in America of not paying taxes.

2. Millionaires Just Inherited Their Money
According to Thomas J. Stanley’s book, “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy,” only 20% of millionaires inherited their riches. The other 80% are what you’d call nouveau riche: first generation millionaires who earned their cash on their own. Many millionaires simply worked, saved and lived within their means to generate their wealth – think accountants and managers: regular people going to work every day. Most millionaires didn’t get their riches overnight when a rich relative died – they worked for the money.

3. Millionaires Feel Rich
From the outside looking in, you would think that millionaires feel rich and secure, but that’s not so. Most millionaires worry about retirement, their kids’ college fund and the mortgage just like the rest of us. Those worries are greatest among new millionaires, the people who just recently acquired their wealth.

4. Millionaires Have High-Paying Jobs
It certainly doesn’t hurt to be gainfully employed, but half of all millionaires are self-employed or own a business. It does help to have a college degree, as about 80% are college graduates, though only 18% have master’s degrees.

5. Millionaires All Drive Fancy Cars
You can get that idea of the rich guy in a fancy German car out of your head when you think of a millionaire: they actually drive a Ford, with the carmaker topping the millionaire preferred car list at 9.4%. Cadillacs run second on the millionaires’ favorite car list, and Lincolns third according to onmoneymaking.com.

Car payments are an investment with little return, which is why someone looking to grow wealth avoids high-priced vehicles in favor of a more economical set of wheels.

6. Millionaires Hang Around the Golf Course All Day
Those millionaires are all retired, with nothing else to do but hang around the golf course, right? Wrong: only 20% of millionaires are retirees, with a full 80% still going to work. It’s not as glamorous or fun, but millionaires go to work just like you do; it’s how the money gets in the bank.

7. Millionaires Are Elitists
We’ve already established that most millionaires earned their money not inherited it, still go to work, drive a Ford and worry about their kids’ college expenses. Sounds a lot like the rest of America, right? Millionaires come in all shapes and sizes – some may be elitists, but most are just regular Joes who successfully managed their money.

The Bottom Line
Maybe you see a pattern here: today’s millionaires are people who live within their means, budget and spend wisely, and focus on financial independence first. These are habits that take discipline, but ones we can all adopt to begin growing wealth. If these facts prove anything, it’s that every one of us can strive to become a millionaire – you can start by driving your old car with pride.